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countenanceblog the expat's avatar

The reason why I couldn't wrap my mind around the accepted conventional wisdom from so many in our sector that Epstein Island was a Mossad honeypot:

It sounded to me like unnecessary cow buying for those who are already getting the milk for free.

It would have been an understandable effort for the Mossad to run if there was any danger that American politicians were imminently and seriously about to go off the pro-Israel plantation during the peak years of Epstein Island. But there was no such danger.

Note: I think the real reason why Bondi/Kash/Bongino are dragging their feet on the Epstein files is because they've seen them, and know that it's a relative nothingburger, that it was all Epstein's own personal perversions, and Epstein Island was his buying political friends. They're hoping that the yammering goes away, because they don't want to have to release the files and it turns out to be a big embarrassment to the many people who have hyped this up to way more than it is.

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Erik's avatar

I read an article a few years ago that made the argument that he inherited the whole sex party blackmail thing from an earlier iteration of it. I'll try to find it.

I doubt the whole thing was developed according to a plan. The idea that this started with a brainstorming session at Mossad (or CIA) headquarters and became some young go getter's projects and got some funding and then they somehow found the perfect pimp and set him up...it isn't how business works.

More likely Epstein was four or sic standard deviations above the mean for charisma and gregariousness. We've all met these guys. Super friendly. Has 10,000 friends. Knows everyone. I've met at least two of them. One of them has to have three birthday parties every year to fit everyone (and I didn't even make the list even though we still keep in touch after I moved away)

The other, a more recent friend, was recently placed on the rotating guest list for a very high profile billionaire. Why? Well I assume because he knows a lot of interesting people to bring to dinner to talk about interesting things. Billionaires get bored like the rest of us. There are a lot of smart people on this comment section. How often do you find yourself wishing you had more smart curious people around to talk to?

Billionaires just have more available solutions to that problem.

When did Epstein add the young women to it? My guess is he transitioned to untraditional pimp slowly. At first he would have just been the guy who knows everyone throwing parties for rich guys. It's not that difficult for men like that to find attractive young women who want to attend such parties. After a few cycles of success, the 'recruitment' gets more aggressive. Soon you are a pimp.

Further speculation: I don't know that he needed to blackmail anyone, certainly not at first. If you enjoy the guys sex and interesting conversation mixers, why not 'invest' a few million with the guy. Keeps things friendly. Keeps mouths shut maybe.

After some time, word gets back to 'intelligence'. I would not be so cocky about it being Mossad. It's more likely that it started with CIA but could easily be both. It would be child play for them to get Epstein on board and on the payroll.

That's my guess.

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